Jikjisa Temple

SOUTH KOREA, North Gyeongsang, Gimcheon

The name Jikjisa means Direct Pointing Temple. It is the head temple for the 8th district of the Jogye order of Korean Seon Buddhism. The temple was built by Master Ado in 418 during the Silla dynasty. The name of the temple is related to the saying: “Pointing directly to one’s Buddha nature.” The name is also said to have been derived from the legend in which Master Ado pointed at Hwangaksan Mountain and expressed his wish to build a temple there. After the restorations in 645 during the Silla dynasty, 930 during the Unified Silla dynasty, and 936 during the Goryeo dynasty, it became one of the largest temples in Korea. The temple underwent subsequent repairs during the Joseon dynasty in 1399 and 1488. It was destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) and rebuilt in 1602 during the Joseon dynasty.
The temple’s structures include the Diamond Gate, Gate of Heavenly Kings, Great Hero Hall, Vairocana Hall, Avalokitesvara Hall, Judgment Hall, three-tier pagoda, and a museum. There are statues of Vajrapanibalin standing inside the Diamond Gate. The five-by-three bay Great Hero Hall has a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. The hall contains statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, the Medicine Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha. Behind the statues there are murals of a Buddha Triad which were listed as Treasures No. 670 in 1980. The Vairocana Hall, also known as the Thousand Buddha Hall, contains many small Buddha statues made from Gyeongju jade during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). The Avalokitesvara Hall contains statues of Sixteen Arhats. Other state-recognized treasures include the three-tier stone pagodas and a stone statue of the seated Medicine Buddha.